7 Celebrities Who Worked Normal Jobs after Fame – From Zookeeping to Teaching, & More

Some celebrities have kissed fame goodbye for various reasons and opted for vocations far removed from Hollywood's spotlight. Here is a list of celebrities with normal jobs.

Fame comes with a price that includes the pressures of living in the spotlight and lack of privacy. As a result, some celebrities have contemplated pursuing other career paths that offer a more appealing and less publicized lifestyle.

Peter Ostrum

At 12, Ostrum was chosen to play the role of Charlie, the main character in the 1971 classic movie, "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory." The opportunity presented itself when Ostrum, who was in sixth grade, impressed casting agents with his outstanding performance at the Cleveland Playhouse children's theater.

Before his involvement in "Willy Wonka," Ostrum had not acted in other films. Although the movie might have launched a career in the acting industry, it remains his first and only big screen performance.

Although he cherished the time he spent working on the film with his co-stars Gene Wilder (who portrayed Willy Wonka) and Jack Albertson (who played Charlie's Grandpa Joe), filmmaking wasn't his primary passion.

Ostrum grew up to be a veterinarian who does mostly dairy work. In 2021, Ostrum reunited with his castmates to celebrate the movie's 50th anniversary.

Geoffrey Owens

While Owens, from "The Cosby Show," still maintained his acting career, he took an extra job as a cashier at Trader Joe's for a more stable income. When photos of him working at the grocery store made rounds online in 2018, Owens responded to the job shaming and backlash. During an interview, he said:

"I've been teaching, acting, directing for 30-plus years, but got to a point where it just didn't add up enough, and you gotta do what you gotta do."

Willa Ford

Despite a successful career in the entertainment industry, Ford's true passion was interior design. The singer, known for her hit song, "I Wanna Be Bad," decided to follow her heart and pursue an interior design career.

Following her divorce, Ford revealed during an interview that she channeled her passion and transformed her house into a cozy and inviting home. Throughout the process, she found immense joy in creating a space that reflected her taste and style.

Since then, she began to reach out to friends and clients for interior design jobs, further growing her portfolio. Some of the celebrities she has worked with include Scott Disick.

Carrie Henn

"Aliens" star Henn pursued teaching instead of an acting career. Henn was nine when she was cast as a space orphan named Newt in "Aliens." Despite having no prior acting experience, Henn won a Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.

Still, she decided to leave acting behind for a teaching career. She graduated in 2000 with a degree in liberals studies and child development at California State University.

Danny Lloyd

Lloyd, who played Danny Torrance in the horror-mystery film "The Shining," retired from acting at 13. He revealed during an interview that he didn't do much after the movie and instead decided to live a normal life. He now works as a biology professor at a community college in Kentucky.

Jennifer Stone

Stone, who starred in the Disney Channel series, "Wizards of Wavery Place," now works as an ER nurse. When the show ended in 2012, Stone, who played Harper Finkle, went on to study psychology.

When she received the diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes in 2013, it had a profound impact on her life, not just concerning her health but also her career path. According to reports, she later shifted her major from psychology to nursing.

Kay Panabaker

Former Naperville Disney star Panabaker won fans' hearts with her performance on the hit TV show "Summerland" in 2004, co-starring with Zac Efron, Lori Loughlin, and more. While she is a talented actress, her passion lies in working with animals. She currently works as an Associate Animal Keeper at Disney World in Orlando.